FAQs
1. What is a Virtual Assistant (VA)?
2. Tell me about The Virtual Inch’s company?
3. What kinds of businesses work with The Virtual Inch?
4. Does The Virtual Inch cater to any particular type of businesses?
5. How can The Virtual Inch help me?
6. What is the difference between the services of a VA vs. using a traditional office services?
7. What are the benefits of working with The Virtual Inch?
8. Is having a VA always better?
9. You are in a position to work with a VA if:
10. How much can I expect to pay a The Virtual Inch?
11. How does The Virtual Inch track the time spent working on my projects?
12. What about confidentiality?
13. How do I know my VA will do a quality job for me?
1. What is a Virtual Assistant (VA)?
There are many different versions answering the question: “What is a VA?”. While the wording and definitions may vary, they are similar. The Virtual Inch has formally chosen this definition:
“A Virtual Assistant (VA) is a professional independent contractor who provides expertise, skill and assistance to other professionals to help them build their business and generate more revenue.”
Source Virtually Successful
2. Tell me about The Virtual Inch’s virtual assistance?
We are an independent contractor who meets the administrative, creative and technical needs of businesses and individuals from an off-site location using today’s technologies – we can work efficiently and effectively with our clients as if they were in the same office.
3. What kinds of businesses work with The Virtual Inch?
We work with businesses who want to grow their online presence. Types of businesses The Virtual Inch works can include:
- Business and Life Coaches
- Consultants
- Corporations
- Doctors
- Entrepreneurs
- Info-Marketers
- Lawyers
- Professional Organizations
- Professional Speakers
- Real Estate Agents
- Sales Representatives
- Small Business Owners
- Traveling Executives
- Tradespeople (Plumbers, Electricians, etc.)
- Writers and Authors
4. Does The Virtual Inch cater to any particular type of business?
The Virtual Inch has geared it’s services to professional coaches, many of whom professionally speak. However, the Virtual Inch believes in diversity and has helped various other small businesses and solopreneurs.
5. How can The Virtual Inch help me?
We can take the weight of your administrative tasks off your shoulders, giving you more time to:
- Grow your business
- Spend time with friends & family
- Pursue personal interests
- Create a more balanced home and work life
- Realize a higher quality of life
6. What is the difference between the services of The Virtual Inch vs. using a traditional office service?
Using traditional office services there are much higher costs including:
- Holiday time
- Sick time
- Employer Related Taxes
- Insurance (health, life, disability)
- Worker’s compensation
- Office space
- Keeping yourself up-to-date in technology
- Equipment & related maintenance and software
- Training
- Idle time
7. What are the benefits of working with The Virtual Inch?
- You are only billed for time (and materials) spent
- You utilize an already trained professional
- The technology and software is already in place
- There are NO employee related taxes, benefits packages, insurance, sick or vacation pay expenses
- During your busiest times of year, we can pick up the slack
- You save money:
Full-time Employee vs a Virtual Assistant Cost Comparison
Want to SAVE over $60,000 in business expenses this year?
If you answered yes, read on …
A cost comparison for a full-time employee
versus a Virtual Assistant
| COST COMPARISON |
Full-timeEmployee
|
Virtual
Assistant |
| Hourly Rate of Pay |
$20.00
|
$35.00
|
| Fringe Benefits @ 35%(Health/Dental/Life Insurance, Retirement Plans) |
7.00
|
None
|
| Overhead Rate @ 50%(Office Space, Equipment & Office Supply expense, UI Insurance, Worker’s Compensation, Overtime Pay, Administration Costs) |
$10.00
|
None
|
| Total Effective Rate of Pay |
$37.00
|
$35.00
|
| **Hours Per Year |
2,080 hrs.
|
480 hrs.
|
| TOTAL Annual Labour Cost |
$76,960.00
|
$16,800.00
|
Difference = $60,160.00 per year
By hiring a Virtual Assistant…You SAVE over $60,000.00 per year!
Although the Virtual Assistant’s hourly rate
is more than the employee’s rate in the first place, you save the cost of benefits
and overhead that would have to be applied to the new employee’s wage. And,
because Virtual Assistant’s are usually more experienced, more efficient, and
better connected than the employee, you’ll need to devote far less time to the
project to get the same results, only 480 hours a year versus 2,080 for the
new employee.
**Remember,
with a Virtual Assistant, you only pay for the time on task by the minute! No
more paying for socializing, hour long lunches or frequent trips to the washroom.
Your employee’s 8 hour day can be
crunched into 3-4 hours with a Virtual Assistant.
Simply put, you should contract with a Virtual
Assistant because it’s more cost-effective and Virtual Assistants go above and
beyond the normal assistant’s duties to impact your own productivity. No task
is too big or small for a Virtual Assistant to handle. Even if you only have
1 hour of work a month for a Virtual Assistant to do, a VA can (and will) do
it.
*Source: Virtual
Assistant Networking Association (VANA) Cost Comparison
The Largest Global Network Online for Successful and Aspiring Virtual Assistants
8. Is having a VA always better?
In this busy world when everything must be completed with the cost-benefit being tantamount to success, the benefits of working with a VA are vast. However, there are situations where businesses and individuals just aren’t in a good position to work with a VA. To find out if your business is suitable for working with us, please see Question #9.
9. You are in a position to work with The Virtual Inch if:
- You are online or want to be
- You are open to new technologies and innovative ways of communicating
- You aren’t stuck in the traditional employer/employee way of thinking – a VA is your equal. If you need to be “the boss”, you need an employee
- You are charging more than $30/hr for your own time
- You don’t always need things done “right now!”
- You prefer not to micro-manage – a VA doesn’t need supervision
- You understand how empowering it is to work with an assistant
10. How much can I expect to pay The Virtual Inch?
VAs charge competitive rates and their rates sometimes vary depending on what particular service in their unique repertoire they are performing. A conservative cost comparison indicates a hired employee or temp costs the employer 2 – 2 ½ times as much as a VA when you factor in a VA’s built-in office infrastructure. At The Virtual Inch, you will get what you pay for.
11. How does The Virtual Inch track the time spent working on my projects?
A professional VA will use a timesheet broken down into tasks so you know exactly how much time was spent on your project.
12. What about confidentiality?
It is important for you to know a professionally trained VA is bound by a professional code of ethics, has their own confidentiality agreement for you to sign and should be happy to sign yours. Carrie Anderson at The Virtual Inch is professionally trained through the first acredited institute in Canada, Red Deer College (Red Deer, Alberta) and would be more than happy to sign your confidentially agreement.
13. How do I know The Virtual Inch will do a quality job for me?
- As a business owner who depends on work from other businesses, you are assured quality service
- The Virtual Inch has a vested interest in the success of your business because the foundation of our business is based on repeat business and referrals so in the pursuit of excellence when it comes to your business, is in our best interests to provide quality service.
We request you make yourself available for questions, especially at the beginning when we are getting to know your business. When we have an understanding of your administrative challenges, we might even be able to suggest ways you can improve the organization and efficiency of your business and in the long run, save you money!
